You shall have no other gods besides me: A legal-economic analysis of the rise of Yahweh

This paper explores various religious innovations as practices that facilitated the consolidation of ancient Israelite worship under Yahweh. The national shrines of Israel and Judah are analyzed as a franchise system structured to confer incentives for the enforcement of religious laws. Biblical evidence suggests that the price of religious services may have risen substantially over time, consistent with the monopolization hypothesis.